


Negotiations

by graceandfire



Series: Brightness Burns [11]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mirror Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-21 09:53:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/898907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graceandfire/pseuds/graceandfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mutiny on the ISS Enterprise</p>
<p>****************************</p>
<p>When Leonard first meets Lieutenant Uhura, his initial impression—because he’s not dead—is that she’s staggeringly beautiful.  And then those stunning dark eyes of hers sweep over him like she’s wondering how much she can get for his dismembered body parts and he amends his first impression to ‘staggeringly beautiful and *#^*(# <i>scary</i>.’ </p>
<p>Nothing has happened since that first meeting to change his mind on either count.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Negotiations

When Leonard first meets Lieutenant Uhura, his initial impression—because he’s not dead—is that she’s staggeringly beautiful.  And then those stunning dark eyes of hers sweep over him like she’s wondering how much she can get for his dismembered body parts and he amends his first impression to ‘staggeringly beautiful and fucking _scary._ ’ 

Nothing has happened since that first meeting to change his mind on either count.  
  
And as she enters Sickbay now, hair pulled back to accentuate the cool composure of her perfect, sculpted features, Leonard feels cold tension slice through his body, even as Kirk smiles lazily up at her—a smile that says, _I am such a badass that I will choose to be amused by your mutiny and assassination attempts_.  When Spock enters after her, the tension in Leonard’s belly turns to ice because _goddamn_ and _fuck,_ Uhura by herself is bad enough but Uhura and _Spock?_   If these two have teamed up to take Kirk out, they might just be the ones dangerous and smart enough to do it.  
  
“Doctor, please move to stand by the captain’s bed,” Spock orders Leonard in polite, even tones, phaser aiming steadily at him.  
  
“I called security,” Leonard tries as he grudgingly walks forward, stopping by Kirk’s bed at another gesture from Spock.    
  
"You really didn’t,” Uhura corrects, gaze flickering briefly over him before returning to the real threat.  Except the real threat has just barely survived ten hours of surgery, and is still dealing with damage that would kill pretty much anyone except the stubborn bastard who’s still managing to look entertained by this whole situation.  
  
“Hey, Uhura, where’s my security detail?” Kirk asks with mild curiosity, like he’s asking whether she prefers bourbon or scotch.  “Did you turn them or kill them?”  
  
Spock is the one to respond.  “They have been temporarily incapacitated and restrained.  They are capable personnel and their termination would be a waste of useful resources.”  
  
“I don’t know about capable.  They _did_ let themselves get taken out by you guys,” Kirk points out, ornery bastard that he is.  “We really can’t have that kind of incompetence from my security.”  
  
“Spock and I are more than capable of handling a couple of your mouth breathers,” Uhura responds with a small, cool smile.  “And don’t worry they won’t be _your_ security for much longer.”  
  
Her phaser is rising and she’s taking aim and Leonard has no fucking clue what to do, has no fucking clue what he’s _about_ to do—just that the winding tension feels like it’s about to break inside of him—when Kirk shakes his head, still exuding confidence.    
  
“You’re not going to kill me.”  
  
Uhura’s smile grows a little scarier.  “I really am.”  
  
“Nope.  Not going to.  And I’ll tell you why.”  
  
Uhura arches an eyebrow at this, looking genuinely curious as well as mildly amused.  “Sure.  Enlighten me, _Captain_ , but make it fast.  This needs to be over before shift change and stalling won’t get you there.”  
  
“Okay,” Kirk props his battered body up and Leonard resists the urge to press him back down again because, dammit, those wounds are gonna start reopening if Kirk doesn’t stop pushing himself but it’s a stupid worry because they’ll both be _dead_ in about sixty seconds unless Kirk pulls some kind of miracle out of his ass.  Which, granted, he’s pretty damn good at.  
  
Kirk gestures at Uhura.  “Nyota Upenda Uhura, from the Bantu Province of the Empire, two sisters, seven aunts, five uncles, twenty two cousins, father dead, mother the clan matriarch…”  
  
“Very good, you know my family background.” Uhura’s smile has disappeared, her expression cool and disinterested, but there’s an undercurrent of nerves in her voice at hearing her life and roots being laid out by Kirk in such a matter of fact manner. “I suppose you’re going to threaten them next?”    
  
Kirk manages to look wounded at the accusation.  “I wouldn’t threaten your _family_ , Uhura.  They’re kick-ass.  Take your pretty little sister Samara for instance.  She’s, what, sixteen now and studying botany at the Academy, following in her big sister’s footsteps so she can serve the Empire.  She seems really happy with her life and hey, she’s even got a new lover, Kagan.  Did she tell you about him yet?”  The question is posed politely.    
  
“And then there’s Asis.  Her name means ‘The Sun’, right?   She’s beautiful too.  I know she’s only a low level civil servant now but I’m sure she’ll rise up the ranks of the Bantu government quickly, she’s such a hard worker and smart, really smart.  A bit of a coffee addict though.  Goes to the same coffee shop every single morning on her way to work and orders an organic double French espresso, extra tall.”  Kirk’s voice is suddenly sharp as a blade.  “Shall I go on?”  
  
A muscle has started working in Uhura’s jaw but she manages a credible, “My  family are very capable of taking care of themselves.”  
  
“Yes, they are.” There’s something different now about Kirk’s voice, a kick up in intensity, a change in the timbre that catches Leonard’s attention and suddenly it’s not threat Kirk’s exuding, it’s charisma, pulling Uhura in.  Leonard’s seen it before, that dark, shining charm that draws people to the captain, inspiring loyalty in a society where cut throat betrayal is far more common.    
  
Leonard watches Kirk _willing_ her to listen to him.     
  
“Uhura, why do you think I brought you on board the Enterprise?  Your posting didn’t happen by accident.  I _want_ you on board.  Your brilliant mind—top marks at the Academy—your facility with languages, your zero tolerance for bullshit.  And your _family_.  You think I don’t know the Uhura family’s one of the rising powers in the African Provinces?  You’ve got connections throughout the entire continent and, y’know what, hell, you probably _could_ hold the Enterprise for awhile if you take me out.”  There’s a hint of real admiration in Kirk’s voice, more effective than false flattery could ever be, and Leonard watches it impact Uhura in spite of herself.  
  
“That is,” Kirk continues, voice matter of fact, “until the next hotshot comes along and slits your throat.”  Without ever moving his gaze from the silent stare down he’s got going with Uhura, he directs his next question at the still presence of his first officer.  “Spock, what are the chances Uhura makes it through her first year after taking over captaincy of the Enterprise?”   
  
There is the slightest of pauses.  “There is an approximately 27.2 percentage chance Uhura will survive and retain her captainship of the Enterprise for twelve months.  With a 0.4 plus or minus variable.”     
  
“And her chances of holding the position for at least five years?”  Kirk could be casually asking about the weather and Leonard thinks--with a touch of something that feels almost like awe--that people forget how very goddamn good Kirk is when he chooses to use the art of negotiation in place of brute force.   
  
“The percentage chance that Uhura will retain captainship of the Enterprise for five years decreases to 6.2 with a 0.7 plus or minus variable.”  Leonard watches the muscle in Uhura’s jaw tighten up again as she turns to stare at Spock’s composed features, searching, her weapon never wavering from its focus on Kirk.    
  
Kirk’s eyes stay steady on Uhura’s face.  “That’s your boy calling the odds, not me.  And that’s actually _with_ Spock by your side—smart move that, by the way.  He’s half alien, so he’ll never be allowed to make captain, and with him by your side your chances are a hell of a lot better than without, a whole 6.2%.  Plus or minus.”  
  
He pauses and nods at Spock.  “Of course, while it’s admirably loyal of Spock to back you with those odds, it doesn’t seem like _you’re_ showing a whole lot of care for your lover’s safety.”  
  
 _Wait, what?_  
  
“What?”  The question escapes before Leonard can ponder the advisability of drawing the attention of the two mutineers but… _what_?   
  
It’s okay though, because everyone just goddamn ignores him, as Leonard continues to look in disbelief at Uhura and Spock, neither of whom are making noises that could in any way be considered a denial.  _Uhura and Spock?_  
  
“You knew about us,” Uhura states flatly.    
  
Kirk gives her an admonishing frown, like she’s missing an obvious point.  “Uhura, please, I know _everything_.”    
  
Well, yeah, of course he does, Leonard thinks with a sudden odd mix of resentment and ruefulness.  Of course Kirk knows about every daughter, sister, lover and any other weakness you think you can hide.    
  
Kirk nods his head towards Spock.  “And I also know Spock’s fate if he backs you and you fail.”    
  
“Spock’s not afraid of death and neither am I.” She throws the words at him with like they’re poison-tipped knives.  
  
Kirk just laughs without humor.  “Well fuck, Uhura, the Empire doesn’t _kill_ Vulcans.  I thought you knew that.  They _break them_.  They put them in a room and they torture them and fuck with their minds and use telepaths to strip away their mental controls and then they torture them some more until they’re worse than the savages their ancestors started out as.”  
  
Kirk leans forward, voice relentless.  “There’s one kept on display at the Emperor’s private zoo if you want to go see.  It lives in a transparent cage, naked, no privacy, ever.  They feed it live animals, rats, rabbits.  I watched a feeding once.  It was…messy.  And you know what the worst part is, Uhura?  When you catch its gaze long enough, you can still see flickers of a person underneath the madness, something _aware_ underneath it all.  _That’s_ the fate that awaits Spock if your little ploy fails and the Empire steps in.”  
  
There’s charged silence in the room as Leonard tries to imagine the cool, logical Spock reduced to an animal, the dignity so inherent in him stripped away.  Even though the half Vulcan’s holding a phaser on them—even though Leonard’s never particularly _liked_ the pointy eared bastard—just the thought of it seems like an abomination.  
  
“I am aware of the risks, Captain,” Spock finally states as Uhura stays silent before the image Kirk has ruthlessly drawn.   
  
“And you’re willing to face those risks for your girlfriend?”  Kirk shifts his attention to his first officer and grins, lop-sided.  “Spock, you romantic Vulcan, you.”  
  
“He tried to talk me out of moving against you now,” Uhura says sharply and Leonard gets the odd notion that she’s trying to draw Kirk’s attention back to her, trying to protect Spock.  “But it was too good an opportunity to pass up.  Even if I did have to make do with a lesser tool.”  She doesn’t waste a single icy glare for poor, doomed Angela who still lies unconscious on a biobed.  
  
“Doesn’t matter.”  Kirk shrugs again and Leonard watches him with worried eyes because, goddammit this can’t go on for much longer.  Kirk might sometimes seem superhuman but he’s still just a goddamn man underneath it all; mortal, as he’d shown on the operating table when his heart had stopped beating _three separate fucking times_.   
  
"Anyhow,” Kirk tilts his head in inquiry, “leaving yours and Spock’s star crossed epic romance aside, the question comes back to—what happens after you kill me?  Putting aside the shit storm that goes into motion when word of my death gets back to earth—because there’s no way this is going to go over as an accident now—there’s everyone you have to deal with just on this ship.  There’s Sulu, who’s ambitious as hell and fucking dangerous in his own right and his family’s old San Franciscan so he’s got connections of his own.”  
  
“I can deal with Sulu and his family.”  Uhura looks unconcerned but Leonard thinks he can detect the smallest cracks in her icy composure.  
  
“…Then there’s Scotty,” Kirk continues on smoothly.  “Man’s a genius, but a little…erratic sometimes.  If he doesn’t like you all kinds of bad shit happens.  He _does_ like _me_ since I helped him out of a jam once and, hey, I give him cool things to play with.”  
  
“I’ve got _plans_ for Scotty,” she practically snarls and Leonard watches in fascination and not a little trepidation as the cracks in her composure spread.  
  
“…Then there are the spies and traps I’ve got on board.”  Kirk reaches up to scratch his head like he’s pondering his own question.  “Of course, you _could_ kill half your officers just to make sure they don’t come against you but…damn, that would kind of hurt your chances the next time the Enterprise goes on a mission that requires any kind of actual competence and…”    
  
“ _Shut.  Up._ ”  Uhura’s icy mask of confidence falls away but Leonard’s not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing seeing as how pissed off rage has risen to take its place.  She’s starting to get the same look his ex-wife had that one time…right before she tried to gut him with a barbeque fork.  
  
Kirk just shrugs.  “Fine, I’m almost done.  Just got one more question and then you can shoot me.” He leans forward again, blue eyes fierce.  “Why settle for an uncertain tenure as captain of the Enterprise when you can have so much more?”  
  
Whatever she’s been expecting Kirk to say, this clearly isn’t it because Uhura blinks and then her dark eyes sharpen as some of her fury drops away.  “Explain what you mean by ‘more’,” she orders, skepticism lacing her acid tones.  
  
Kirk’s own eyes are practically glowing now as his voice deepens.  “I told you, it’s no accident that you’re here, Uhura.  You and Sulu and Chekov and Scotty and everyone else – you’ve all been handpicked.  You think I’ve assembled the smartest, most innovative, most _connected_ crew in the Empire by _chance_?  Between us we’ve got connections across the goddamn galaxy.  You want to be captain of the Enterprise?  How about Overseer of Quadrant 7?  Fuck, we’ll create a new title for you, Linguistics Commander for the entire fucking Terran Empire.  You want to increase your family’s power?  You want to smooth the path for your sisters?  I’m far more valuable to you alive than dead.  We _all_ are.”  His hand rises suddenly and his phaser is pointing at her, rock steady, but Uhura doesn’t even glance at it, mesmerized by the sheer willpower being directed at her.   
  
“Together we’re going to rule the fucking _galaxy_.  No games, no power plays, no backstabbing.  It’s ours for the taking.”  
  
Uhura is silent and Leonard can practically _see_ her steel trap brain analyzing the options even as he deals with the jolting impact of Kirk’s words to his own psyche.  Because with the way this night's been going, his sanity's feeling more goddamn fragile by the goddamn minute.    
  
“I just tried to kill you,” she says finally, a flicker of regret shading her voice.  “Even if what you say is true you’re not going to let it go.  You’ll never be able to trust me.”  
  
Kirk laughs, sounding genuinely amused, as he gives a little ‘bygones’ gesture.  “Uhura, I have _never_ trusted you.  I _will never_ trust you.  But I admire you and your big scary brain and your big shiny metaphorical balls of titanium and, c’mon, if I can’t get past a little thing like attempted murder, I don’t deserve to take over the Terran Fleet.”     
  
Kirk lowers his phaser suddenly, dropping it to the side of the bed.    
  
"You’re not the only with plans, Lieutenant.  Now choose.”    
  
He waits, calmly meeting Uhura’s searching glare until, finally, slowly, her phaser lowers and she nods.  
  
Kirk nods back and Leonard doesn’t realize that it’s not meant for Uhura until Spock drops his own phaser and reaches out, laying a hand on the side of Uhura’s delicate neck.  She looks back, serious, the start of a smile on her face, before her eyes widen and she crumples, unconscious, into Spock’s arms.  
  
“And you’re not the only one I make my plans with,” Kirk finishes softly.  He looks up at Spock.  “Take her to detention.”  
  
The half Vulcan, who is looking down at Uhura with some unreadable emotion flickering across his face—remarkable for the fact that it _is_ an emotion—looks up sharply at Kirk’s words.  “Captain, need I remind you, our agreement includes a guarantee that Lieutenant Uhura not be harmed.”  
  
Kirk rolls his eyes.  “I’m not going to touch a hair on her gorgeous head.  She just needs to know she wasn’t the one holding the cards here.  We’ll have another chat tomorrow.  Our deal remains and I wasn’t kidding about her future as Grand Fucking Poobah of Linguistics or whatever the hell she wants to be.”  
  
Leonard watches Spock studying Kirk, the alien qualities of his features dominating his human side in the muted shadows of the room, making him appear almost demonic, until finally he nods and rises up smoothly to carry Uhura out of the room.  
  
“And send security up here!”  Kirk calls after the disappearing figure.  
  
As soon as Spock disappears, Kirk slumps back on the table, with a low curse.  “Fucking Galkans and their fucking timing.  Two more weeks and this wouldn’t have happened.  I’d have already brought Uhura into the fold.”  
  
There are a whole mess of questions swirling around in Leonard’s head right now, not to mention the heart attack his body is trying to have in reaction to narrowly avoiding death, because he’s not quite as _blasé_ about assassination attempts as Kirk is.  But he pushes it all aside for more immediate concerns as he grabs a tricorder and starts scanning.  “Well, that’s fucking great,” he mutters, scowling down at the readings.  “You’re bleeding internally again.  Lights at full,” he barks and the room immediately brightens in response.  “You don’t watch yourself you’re going to undo all of my brilliant work.”  
  
“Sorry I couldn’t time the mutiny better,” Kirk mutters, eyes fluttering closed and Leonard just shakes his head, relaxing as he sees that the new damage done is minimal.  
  
“How’d you know Spock wouldn’t support Uhura at the end?”  Leonard asks as he grabs supplies and starts tending to Kirk.  
  
“He knows I’m the best shot he has as an advocate for his planet.  He wants Vulcan to have more self government,” Kirk mutters, eyes a gleam of blue behind heavy lids.  “Y’know, he actually has feelings for her.  That cold blooded, logical son of a bitch is fucking gone over her.  Uhura’s probably just using him though...not sure yet, she’s a hard one to read.”  Kirk’s voice starts to slur as he speculates, adrenaline crashing as his injuries reassert their toll.  
  
Leonard snorts.  “It’s gonna be interesting to watch them work out their little lovers’ spat once she wakes up.  She doesn’t seem like the forgiving sort.”  He sets about patching up the damage Kirk’s late night adventure has done to his work and thinks about the unlikely pair.  Uhura and Spock.  That’s gonna take some getting used to.  
  
He looks down at Kirk with his best skeptical glare which is wasted since the other man’s barely focusing.  “So you’re going to be Emperor, huh?”    
  
“Nah,” Kirk’s eyes are glazing over and Leonard figures he has about a minute left before unconsciousness claims him, although this is Kirk, who never does what’s expected so…   
  
“Don’t wanna be Emperor.  Not secure ‘nuff.  C’ntrol the fleet, emper’ll come t’heel.  Whoever c’trols th’fleet c’trols…”  Kirk’s voice trails into silence, his ferocious will finally relaxing as the immediate crisis passes.  
  
Leonard looks down at the man's unconscious face that’s familiar and unpredictable; that masks a spirit that seems to blaze too bright to be contained by mortal considerations and words like ‘impossible’.  A man who can spend years tormenting Leonard for fun, threatening him for entertainment, and then jump in front of goddamn _death_ for him without hesitation.    
  
And it sinks in as he stares down at Kirk—at this dangerous, brilliant, ruthless man who keeps twisting him into knots over and over—that this man is going to _rule the fucking galaxy_ one day.  It’s a surprise that’s somehow not a surprise at all, because, well _of course_ he fucking is.     
  
The real surprise, as Leonard watches Kirk’s chest rise and fall in restless sleep, is the idea that maybe, just maybe, that’s not a bad thing. 


End file.
